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Theophany: a manifestation of God in sensible form.

From the early pages of Genesis, God has been showing up to meet people who need to see Him. The story of Hagar in Genesis 16 is one of the earliest accounts of a human giving a name to God. 

“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.””

Genesis 16:13

She had been used and inserted into the roils of Sarai and Abram’s impatience and distrust in God. She was miserable and hopeless, and she ran from the very people who had been promised the nations. But this is where God met her. In the wilderness, she saw the God who sees her. This was her Theophany.

In the same way, Jesus came to us. He still comes to us. He meets us when we have sinned and been sinned against, and He shows up in all of His God-glory to invite us out of our selves and into His purposes.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” 

Titus 2:11-14

The renovation of the first of hopefully many missionary homes in Barnsdall , Oklahoma was completed in the month of May. We took some notes from Hagar, and decided to dedicate the home to this specific attribute of God: that we are able to see the One who sees us, and we are called to make El Roi even more visible in our home, community, and the world.

This is what our home and ministry are dedicated to: We have seen the God who sees us, and we want to create a home and a life where others can do the same.